Originally posted by hitech
I do not belive I could have stated this any better.
I'll only add one more piece. If a person continualy restate their view with out any change ,even after a topic has died, that posting will cause me to start ignoring that persons requests and posts.
2nd:SloeHand.
The cold hard fact.
You do not pay for the right to post here. Nor do you pay for the right to have the game designed to your desire. You pay for access to the content as is, and that content can be designed any way I wish. And you are free to either choose to pay for that that content or not.
Any thing other than that is simply both our desires to make our products more fun.
HiTech
HiTech-
I re-read your next-to-last post, in which you state your assumptions of what goes on in the DA, and by my experience they are largely inaccurate. In both the nature of some of the actions and the degree of occurance that you attribute to them.
I can only assume you are correct that you intended the DA to be used only for pre-arranged 1v1 dueling. But I also know you later added fields for tank v tank action, and there are areas specifically stated for furballing and bombers. In other words, the DA is multifunctional, and does seem to require some level of an honor system to function cooperatively (i.e. not going to another area and interfering in some way with the activity going on there).
That players developed on their own, a pretty decent system for quick invitation 1v1 duels, only enhances the DA's functionality. It's true, due to the nature of the activity and its popularity, it is also the most easily disrupted by 'bad apples'. But the far greater majority (I'd say 98%) of non-two week wonders (i.e. paying customers) do follow the 'accepted' rules there. It is generally the newbs who cause the most problems, not veterans.
As for it not being a good training ground. How many testimoies do you want to refute that? They are easy to get because you are simply wrong. I and many others have learned more ACM there than in the TA. And I learned more about the game itself there, and various tips/tricks, cause that's where veterans of all countries hung out when not in the MA, and they would often take the time to answer questions. Most of the time, the TA is full of newbs, one or two trainiers (maybe), and a veteran or two. And while it's great place for getting newbs started and initially up to speed, it's the DA, which might often have 15 or 20 experience pilots at time, that was the best place for the advanced course.
As for your last post. I thoroughly agree with the fact that its your game and your design. You can change or not change it as you want, and we all have the option to vote our disapproval with our feet. And I'm not out to personally aggravate anyone. But, I truly think I, and others, have a legitimate concern, even after you've stated your new position on the DA (I'd originally heard killshooter was going to be temporary).
And yes, I'm trying to influence you into a certain action, of returning the DA to the more versatile feature it was before you turned killshooter on. And I certainly want it changed for my own sake, but it is not just a personal whim, nor am I anywhere alone in wanting it. It is not a selfish request to change the game just to suit me or for my own benefit.
In any event, it's hard to find the 'right way' (and I'm certainly failing at it), because I don't know what way that is. I simply must not be able understand your position or attitude when it comes to your customers. It seems many of us don't.
In the end, I'm not saying you have to accede to every demand, and certainly not to any single individual's personal whim or desire. But I believe a respectable number of people have been upset by this issue, especially as we can't understand why you would take such a position permanently. We may be stupid or ignorant somehow, but we don't think there was a really, devastatingly major effort required on your part to help alleviate the original problem. And we tried to tell you that your solution felt like you didn't want to even be bothered, wanted to get past it quickly any way you could, and ended up punishing us all. I don't think you've ever adequately addressed that, and probably won't at this point.
Our initial assumption when the problem in the DA came to a head was, you would help us in some way with the problem, not make it worse. We mistakenly thought you would help and still allow the greater majority to enjoy the DA as it was. We were so wrong. You've made a change that has disappointed many people, in what "appears" to be a most cavalier way, whether that was your intention or not. IUnfortunately, that was the impression that came across to me and others, and I guess it just added a bit of outrage to those who were upset in the first place.
So, it's your game, your business, and we have to play it the way you want us to. And that's the way it should be, up to a point. The game is damn successful, or so I'm told. It's certainly a great game and is very adicting. I would simply caution that you should never rely on only that to sustain you. Taken too far, it can become a powerful incentive to ignore any or all of us anytime you wish. Though I hope I'm wrong, I get the sense that that's the relationship you want us to have. Be careful you don't grow calluses.
Oh, and by the way. I think it would be hard for you to ignore me any more than you already have.
But game over. Point, set, and match. You win.
